Uninsured rate is down, but deductibles are up
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Just 8.8% of Americans lacked health insurance as of this past September, according to the latest numbers from the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That historic low is due in large part to the Affordable Care Act's expansion of coverage through the exchanges and Medicaid. It's also why people are protesting at Republican town halls — to preserve the health coverage gains. However, 28 million Americans still have no health insurance.
Yes, but: More insured people are on the hook for sizable portions of their health care costs. More than 39% of Americans younger than 65 are enrolled in a plan with a high deductible — a big increase from 2010, when 25% of people were in a high-deductible policy. Popular Republican plans to replace Obamacare rely heavily on high deductibles and health savings accounts.
